Notes

Files donated by Bert Szoghy

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Reviewer: Teddy Boy - - August 9, 2010
Subject: Orson rules OK!
Was Vincent price in any radio shows with Orson Welles? I don’t think I’ve heard him part of any Mercury Radio shows.

I’m not convinced by Orson’s status being increased after the War of the Worlds production either... yes the sponsor came in and the show changed direction away from literary classics to include stories from Hollywood – but Orson was top dog from the start. Just listen to his introduction in Dracula (the first Marcury Theatre production) it is positively gushing!

What shows were recorded after Orson left? I would love to hear some without him – to see what they’re like.

Reviewer: Kevin VandeWettering - - July 29, 2009
Subject: Fantastic series
The Mercury Theatre troupe included Carl Frank, Joseph Cotten, Martin Gabel, Vincent Price, Agnes Moorehead, Ray Collins, Hans Conreid, Paul Stewart, Will Geer, George Coulouris, Olive Stanton, and Everett Sloane. Much of the troupe would later appear in Welles’ films at RKO, particularly Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons.

No where else will you find so many people who made the transition from radio to film. I think too much is made of Orson Welles "jumping out from behind a bush and yelling BOO!". This was a quality series for a discerning audience.

Some more of this is here:

http://www.archive.org/details/mercurytheaterorsonwelles

Reviewer: Shadows_Girl - - July 29, 2009
Subject: Campbell Playhouse
All these files were ripped off from the Mercury Theater website at http://www.mercurytheatre.info/

and anyone who makes claim to have "donated" them here isn't fooling anyone. The Mercury Theater website has been around longer than the Internet Archive and we all know what we owe to Kim Scarborough for keeping it up and running for ten years at least.

Reviewer: tomwsmf - - October 1, 2006
Subject: After the big BOOOO
The cast and crew of the Mercury Theater of the Air were geniuse crafting the most amazing radio of any time. When they hit the big time with their Haloween scare, the War of the Worlds, the world took note and things changed for them.

The first was a Sponsor, Campbell soup. The second was a breaking apart of the ensamble atmosphere with Orson Welles rising to top dog status , John Houseman being pushed down a few pegs and the ensamble taking a second billing to the Hollywood stars the sponsor moved in to star in the productions.

Still the writting was top notch and everyone put forth amazing efforts regardless of the backstage politicing.

Houseman got a chance to take back his place when Welles left for Hollywood, the show lasted one more season.

The writting work of both Howard Kooch and Wyllis Cooper were right on the mark forshadowing the works they would do in the years to come.

All in all a great series, one of the better of the age.